Weapons

Magic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. They apply these bonuses to both attack and damage rolls when used in combat. All magic weapons are also masterwork weapons, but their masterwork bonus on attack rolls does not stack with their enhancement bonus on attack rolls.

Weapons come in two basic categories: melee and ranged. Some of the weapons listed as melee weapons can also be used as ranged weapons. In this case, their enhancement bonus applies to either type of attack.

In addition to an enhancement bonus, weapons may have special abilities. Special abilities count as additional bonuses for determining the market value of the item, but do not modify attack or damage bonuses (except where specifically noted). A single weapon cannot have a modified bonus (enhancement bonus plus special ability bonus equivalents) higher than +10. A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

A weapon or a kind of ammunition may be made of an unusual material. Roll d%: 01–95 indicates that the item is of a standard sort, and 96–100 indicates that it is made of a special material.

Caster Level for Weapons

The caster level of a weapon with a special ability is given in the item description. For an item with only an enhancement bonus and no other abilities, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met.

Additional Damage Dice

Some magic weapons deal additional dice of damage. Unlike other modifiers to damage, additional dice of damage are not multiplied when the attacker scores a critical hit.

Ranged Weapons and Ammunition

The enhancement bonus from a ranged weapon does not stack with the enhancement bonus from ammunition. Only the higher of the two enhancement bonuses applies.

Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment gains the alignment of that projectile weapon (in addition to any alignment it may already have).

Magic Ammunition and Breakage

When a magic arrow, crossbow bolt, or sling bullet misses its target, there is a 50% chance it breaks or otherwise is rendered useless. A magic arrow, bolt, or bullet that hits is destroyed.

Light Generation

Fully 30% of magic weapons shed light equivalent to a lightspell (bright light in a 20-foot radius, shadowy light in a 40-foot radius). These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can’t be concealed when drawn, nor can its light be shut off. Some of the specific weapons detailed below always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions.

An attacker cannot damage a magic weapon that has an enhancement bonus unless his own weapon has at least as high an enhancement bonus as the weapon or shield struck. Each +1 of enhancement bonus also adds 1 to the weapon’s or shield’s hardness and hit points. Each +1 of enhancement bonus adds 2 to a weapon’s or shield’s hardness and +10 to its hit points.

Activation

Usually a character benefits from a magic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon—by attacking with it. If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate then the user usually needs to utter a command word (a standard action).

Magic Weapons and Critical Hits

Some weapon qualities and some specific weapons have an extra effect on a critical hit. This special effect functions against creatures not subject to critical hits, such as undead, elementals, and constructs. When fighting against such creatures, roll for critical hits as you would against humanoids or any other creature subject to critical hits. On a successful critical roll, apply the special effect, but do not multiply the weapon’s regular damage.

Weapons for Unusually Sized Creatures

The cost of weapons for creatures who are neither Small nor Medium varies. The cost of the masterwork quality and any magical enhancement remains the same.

Special Qualities

Roll d%. If the item is a melee weapon, a 01–30 result indicates that the item sheds light, 31–45 indicates that something (a design, inscription, or the like) provides a clue to the weapon’s function, and 46–100 indicates no special qualities.

If the item is a ranged weapon, a 01–15 result indicates that something (a design, inscription, or the like) provides a clue to the weapon’s function, and 16–100 indicates no special qualities.

In addition to enhancement bonuses, weapons can have one or more of the special abilities detailed below. A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Table: Weapons

Minor

Medium

Major

Weapon Bonus

Base Price1

01–70

01–10

—

+1

2,000 gp

71–85

11–29

—

+2

8,000 gp

—

30–58

01–20

+3

18,000 gp

—

59–62

21–38

+4

32,000 gp

—

—

39–49

+5

50,000 gp

—

—

—

+62

72,000 gp

—

—

—

+72

98,000 gp

—

—

—

+82

128,000 gp

—

—

—

+92

162,000 gp

—

—

—

+102

200,000 gp

86–90

63–68

50–63

Specific weapon3

—

91–100

69–100

64–100

Special ability and roll again4

—

This price is for 50 arrows, crossbow bolts, or sling bullets.

A weapon can’t actually have a bonus higher than +5. Use these lines to determine price when special abilities are added in.

Add to enhancement bonus on Table: Weapons to determine total market price.

Masterwork double weapons incur double the masterwork cost to account for each head (+300 gp masterwork cost per head for a total of +600 gp). Double weapons have separate magical bonuses for their different heads. If randomly determined, the second head of a double weapon has the same enhancement bonus as the main head (01–50 on d%), doubling the cost of the bonus, or its enhancement bonus is one less (51–100 on d%) and it has no special abilities. All magic weapons are masterwork weapons.

Add to enhancement bonus on Table: Weapons to determine total market price.

Masterwork double weapons incur double the masterwork cost to account for each head (+300 gp masterwork cost per head for a total of +600 gp). Double weapons have separate magical bonuses for their different heads. If randomly determined, the second head of a double weapon has the same enhancement bonus as the main head (01–50 on d%), doubling the cost of the bonus, or its enhancement bonus is one less (51–100) and it has no special abilities. All magic weapons are masterwork weapons.

Reroll if you get a duplicate special ability, an ability incompatible with an ability that you’ve already rolled, or if the extra ability puts you over the +10 limit. A weapon’s enhancement bonus and special ability bonus equivalents can’t total more than +10.

Add to enhancement bonus on Table: Weapons to determine total market price.

Reroll if you get a duplicate special ability, an ability incompatible with an ability that you’ve already rolled, or if the extra ability puts you over the +10 limit. A weapon’s enhancement bonus and special ability bonus equivalents can’t total more than +10.

Specific Weapons

The following specific weapons usually are preconstructed with exactly the qualities described here.

Epic Weapons

Except when otherwise stated, epic magic weapons follow the rules for nonepic magic weapons. There is no limit to an epic magic weapon’s enhancement bonus, to the market price modifier of an epic magic weapon special ability, or to the total of an epic magic weapon’s enhancement bonus and market price modifier.

EPIC WEAPON BASE PRICE

To find the base price of an epic magic weapon, roll on Table: Weapons. Note that the +6 to +10 rows apply only to weapons that provide an enhancement bonus of +6 to +10 or weapons with a single special ability whose market price modifier is +6 to +10. Magic weapons with a total effective bonus of +6 to +10 but that have an enhancement bonus of +5 or less and special abilities whose individual market price modifiers are +5 or less use the table for nonepic magic weaponsto determine price.

Table: Weapons

d%

Enhancement Bonus

Market Price1

01–03

+1

+2,000 gp

04–07

+2

+8,000 gp

08–13

+3

+18,000 gp

14–20

+4

+32,000 gp

21–28

+5

+50,000 gp

29–36

+6

+720,000 gp

37–43

+7

+980,000 gp

44–49

+8

+1,280,000 gp

50–53

+9

+1,620,000 gp

54–56

+10

+2,000,000 gp

57–61

Specific weapon2

62–80

Melee weapon with special ability and roll again3

81–99

Ranged weapon with special ability and roll again3

100

Roll on Table: Epic Weapons

1 This price is for 50 arrows, crossbow bolts, or sling bullets.

2 See Table: Specific Weapons.

3 See Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities for melee weapons or Table: Ranged Weapon Special Abilities for ranged weapons.

Table: Epic Weapons

d%

Enhancement Bonus

Market Price

01–21

+11

+2,420,000 gp

22–39

+12

+2,880,000 gp

40–54

+13

+3,380,000 gp

55–66

+14

+3,920,000 gp

67–76

+15

+4,500,000 gp

77–84

+16

+5,120,000 gp

85–90

+17

+5,780,000 gp

91–94

+18

+6,480,000 gp

95–97

+19

+7,220,000 gp

98–99

+20

+8,000,000 gp

100

Roll again and add +10 to bonus1

2

1This is cumulative if rolled multiple times.

2 For enhancement bonuses higher than +20, the market price modifier is equal to the square of the bonus x20,000 gp.

2 Add to enhancement bonus on Table: Weapons to determine total market price.

3 masterwork weaponsdouble weapons incur double the masterwork cost to account for each head (+300 gp masterwork cost per head for a total of +600 gp). Double weapons have separate bonuses for their different heads. If randomly determined, the second head of a double weapon has the same enhancement bonus as the main head (01–50 on d%), doubling the cost of the bonus, or its enhancement bonus is one less (51–100 on d%) and it has no special abilities.

2 Add to enhancement bonus on Table: Weapons to determine total market price.

3 masterwork weaponsdouble weapons incur double the masterwork weapons cost to account for each head (+300 gp masterwork weapons cost per head for a total of +600 gp). Double weapons have separate bonuses for their different heads. If randomly determined, the second head of a double weapon has the same enhancement bonus as the main head (01–50 on d%), doubling the cost of the bonus, or its enhancement bonus is one less (51–100) and it has no special abilities.